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 Research on Romanian Fairytales

​How I got into this theme: In first year I was tempted to make a game based on Romanian fairytales but it never got past the brainstorming phase. Then, this October (30th September-4th October) I came across RGDA. They did a game jam based on a few Romanian miths and legends, and although I was mostly on the rod and I couldn’t participate, I followed from remote the process of other teams, participated in online talks etc and also looked at what people had come up with by the end.

Main structure and elements of the Fairytale

Main structure and elements of the Fairytale

For start I wanted to look into the general elements of the fairytales and the staple narrative structure. It seemed natural to start with Vladimir Propp’s study, “Morphology of the Folktale”, as I understand one of the most important studies on fairytales. Vladimir Propp goes through a lot of fairytales and establishes 31 narratve units that comprise the structure of many stories.

He also identified 5 elements of the story:

  • Dramatis personae(or characters) that include heroes, anti heroes, villains etc

  • Conjuctive elements or elements that trigger a series of events

  • Motivations of the characters

  • Entrance of characters or their first introduction

  • Magical objects or accesorries that make a character memorable

Even though Propp is mainly looking into Western fairytales, I believe most of his study applies to Romanian fairytales as well.

Vladimir Propp was a folklorist researcher interested in the relationship between characters and narrative . Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story.

As a structuralist, he analyzed the basic plot components of Russian folktales in order to identify their simplest irreducible narrative elements.

Quote “theme is a series of motifs. A motif develops into a theme." "Themes vary: certain motifs make their way into themes, or else themes combine with one another."” Veselovskij

Quote “But the general question of the origin of the tale is, on the whole, unresolved,”

According to him, the fairytale can be broken down into elements as follows:

-Dramatis Personae=Character

-Body of tale

  1. Initial situation

  1. ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF A FAMILY ABSENTS HIMSELF FROM HOME. (

  2. AN INTERDICTION IS ADDRESSED TO THE HERO.

  3. THE INTERDICTION IS VIOLATED

  4. THE VILLAIN MAKES AN ATTEMPT AT RE_CONNAISSANCE.

  5. THE VILLAIN RECEIVES INFORMATION ABOUT HIS VICTIM

. THE VILLAIN ATTEMPTS TO DECEIVE HIS VICTIM IN ORDER TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIM OR OF HIS BELONGINGS

  1. THE VILLAIN CAUSES HARM OR INJURY TO A MEMBER OF A FAMILY.

  2. ONE MEMBER OF A FAMILY EITHER LACKS SOMETHING OR DESIRES TO HAVE SOMETHING.

  3. MISFORTUNE OR LACK IS MADE KNOWN; THE HERO IS APPROACHED WITH A REQUEST OR COM_MAND; HE IS ALLOWED TO GO OR HE IS DIS_PATCHED.

  4. THE SEEKER AGREES TO OR DECIDES UPON COUNTERACTION. (Definition: beginning counteraction. Designation: C.)

  5. THE HERO LEAVES HOME. (D

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Romanian Mithology

Miths are stories that try to answer fundamental questions

  • Cosmological/Cosmogonical- how the world started

  • Eshatological-how it will end

  • Questions about time and space, light and darkness, life and death

Usually contains Gods-like characters and is tightly linked to pagan rituals and traditions. “The core of the mythical is the sacred”

Can be in the form of stories, poems or songs.

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One of the most important characters in Romanian mythology is Baba Dochia, claimed to be “the entire result of the life of Romanian people”(George Calinescu, literary critic). This mith has 2 main varaiations.

One drawn from a legend that goes back to the etnogenesis of the Romanian folk, the merging of the Dacian and Roman people. The story goes like this:  Dochia, daughter of Decebal, refused to marry Traian, the Roman Emperor, and ran away. She was wearing 9 coats as she was going up the mountain during winter, and was throwing away one by one. As she reached the top, the weather became cold again and she was turned to stone.

This mith is always associated with spring in Romanian culture, hence the saying “Baba Dochia has thrown away her coat” during the period between 1st and 9th March. Because this time is full of unstable weather, it is representativeof Baba Dochia’s unstable character. During this time, the custom is for women to pick one day, a “baba”. The day will predict how the rest of the year will be for the woman-cold and gloomy, or warm and happy. On 9th March, the custom is for men to drink 40 glasses of wine and make "mucenici".

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This variation is strongly linked to a Romanian spring tradition, Martisor (show pictures). In this variation, Baba Dochia is an evil crone and the stereotype of the evil mother in law, who disapproves of her daughter in law and tries to cause her pain.

Legends of crones are also very common and many stone variations are named after them, going back to how Baba Dochia wa turned into stone.

Baba Dochia

Miorita

Miorita-meaning young sheep, is a folkloric poem specific to Romanian culture. It has a cultural insight into the pastoral influence of this culture, “transhumanta” being a key element into the life of village life. Transhumanta-taking flocks of sheep from the top of the mountains to the hills during winter months.

The balad of Miorita is defined as a pastoral epopeea, a doina(sad folk song) or etnomith. It tells the story of 3 sheppards from 3 regions who travel together with their sheep. 2 of them plot the murder of the Moldavian sheppard, and he is told by his favorite sheep of this plot. Instead of thinking about his escape, he teaches his friend sheep what to do after his death: where to be buried and what to tell his parents. He describes his death as a wedding with a proud fairy, with the sun and moon as their godfathers and the pinetrees and maples as their guests.

The hero isn’t afraid of death, but welcomes it with dignity. He doesn’t try to fight destiny. Death is presented as a communion with nature.

Mesterul Manole

Translated as Manole the Builder, he is the main character of this mith, a genius architect with a tragic destiny.. The main motif of the mith is sacrifice. The mith tells the story of Manole, master builder charged by Negru Voda (translated the Black Emperor) to design and supervise the construction of a large monastery in Arges. Him and the builders start working hard, but everything they build during the day collapses during the night as If the place is haunted. Manole is told in his sleep by a whisper that everything will keep collapsing if a sacrifice isn’t made and if a young woman isn’t build into the walls. They make a pact that the first wife or sister who arrives tomorrow to bring their lunch will be built into the wall. As a tragedy, his wife arrives first and is brought to sacrifice. The balad ends with Manole commiting suicide after jumping off the high monastery that he built, after he couldn’t stop hearing the cries of his wife.

The main theme of the mith is art as sacrifice, the idea that all great monuments and art have been built on huge sacrifice.

Zburatorul

Translated-the flying one. Portrayed as a seductive mystical demon, he enters young women’s chambers at night. He is a metaphor for the desires of young women and for the communion between a woman and universal forces. He is portrayed as a beautiful demon with jet black hair and eyes, incapable of feeling, although in some Romanian literature he ends up falling in love with the girl he visits. He can also connect with her in her dreams.

Fabulous Creatures and monsters in Romanian mythology

Blajini

Translated-the gentle ones. These giants are considered to be the first people to inhabit Earth. They now live between this world and the afterworld, and they constantly pray for humankind without asking for anything in return.

Balaur

An enchanted dragon with 12 tongues and multiple heads-usually 3, 7, or 12 heads. Usually descended from snakes.

Zmeu- simbol of the universal evil forces

Zmeu is the most common evil villain in romanian fairytales and is portrayed as an evil giant, a dragon or half man half snake. Usually lives in palaces and has hunting domains. Is interesting to see how in Romanian fairytales glimpses of the lifestyle of zmeu is portrayed. Usually they have a family or are part of a hierarchy. Examples: The hero tricks zmeu’s mother and enters the palace; zmeu steals the moon and stars for his wife and mother and keeps the stars in the basement etc.

Evil Feminine Figures

Witches, Crones, Mother of the Forest(Muma Padurii), Ielele, Zmeoaica

  • Ielele

Ielele are manic feminine fairiries. They wear white dresses and their hair loose, and have a great force of seduction. They are immortal, beautiful, invisible during the day and rarely seen at night. They are believed to come out in the moonlight, in  places such as ponds, crossroads, abandoned hearths or even in the sky. They usually dance naked or in transparent loose dresses with bells at their ankles. Where their dance took place, they leave behind a ring of burnt grass or earth. If they are seen during the dance, they lure the guilty into the dance and make him fall asleep with their enchanted songs.

It is said that if they drink water from a well, whoever drinks from that well after them, dies.  They are a symbol of eroticism and seduction is their primary power.

Talking Animals

  • Talking horse

The most common element in fairytales, the talking horse is usually a donor and a brother to the hero. He is there during the journey and growth of the hero, is an adviser and a protector. Usually in fairytales, the enchanted horse is disguised as an old, sick horse, until the hero performs an act that revitalizes the horse(feeds him red hot coals etc). As a main motif, the horse is old and wise and usually has served the father of the hero(and maybe the father before that).

Characters 

Villains

Imparatul Rosu

  • Translated-the Red Emperor-usually a generic name for an evill emperor. Usually has an evil daughter that the hero desires. The princess is usually extremely beautiful and clever and plots together with her father for the hero’s downfall. She has magical abilities and can transform into animals or objects in order to hide. She puts the hero to the test, and sometimes, if he passes all tests and proves his worth, she can fall in love. Unlike western folktale, the falling in love is gradul and usually takes place on the journey back home.

Spanul

  • Spanul is a human-like creature. The origins and nature of his are unknown. He is mainly a bald men with redish eyes or red toned skin. He is very clever and sneaky, will befriend you on your journey and trick you right when you have your guard down.

  • Appears in: Harap-Alb.

Heroes

  • Fat-Frumos

  • Harap-Alb

  • Greuceanu

  • Stan Patitul

  • Ivan Turbinca

  • Pacala si Tandala

  • Iovan Iorgovan(mythological)

Feminism in Fairytales

  • After reading the article written by  Catalina Balanisteanu, I was surprised to see the misognistic view of female characters in Romanian fairytales. The only mention of female power and strength are in “Ileana Sanziana”. I have to research this topic more and read Ileana Sanziana to see what it’s all about.

  • Fairytales that come to mind with powerfull heroines: Harap-Alb, Aleodor Imparat, Tinerete fara Batranete, Ileana Cosanzeana, Sarea in bucate, Fata babei si fata mosului.

  • Heroines are not passive characters, often have magical abilities or are extremely clever.They have a say before being given to their prince, often test him themselves, and after they commit to the relationship they help the hero at their biggest challenge and can even resurrect him. They also reject other evil characters that might try to seduce them. They have high position in the monarchy before and after marriage, in the real world or a fantastical one. Also love at first sight is not a current motif-is usually gained after the hero proved their worth.

  • Often portrayed as femme fatale. Archetypes: queen, mother, Sage, Mystic.

  • “Ispirescu focuses on the body images – women draw the men’s attention through their sexual attractiveness; we cannot say that they are depicted as lascivious sex symbols, but as opposed to the German prudish heroines, they prove to be cunning, independent and rather comfortable with their sexuality. Although the Romanian heroines cannot enjoy their sexuality too openly, their charm is described as more aggressive, since they use their seductive qualities as weapon – they demand from their future husbands the fulfilment of several tasks, hence the hero’s fights with dragons, evil witches or other fantastic creatures”

  • Read “Fata saracului cea isteata” declared a feminist manifesto

  • “Zâna Zânelor (The Queen of fairies – the equivalent for Queen Mab in the English folklore), when the female protagonist chooses to spend the nights into her lover’s chamber without being married to him. No sign of prudishness is shown by Ispirescu when he reveals the readers that the queen of fairies gave birth to a(n illegitimate) son as the natural consequence of her love affair with the emperor’s son. This attitude reflects the “New Women” of the late 19th century who feel liberated from the social constraints”-page 8

  • Morphology of the Foltale by V.Propp

  • Page 111-“The miraculous birth of the hero”

  • “Crestea intr-un an cat altii in 10”; Povestea pescarului-din copacul de sub fereastra a crescut un flacau (gata matur); Tinerete fara batranete-profetia cum ca nu-si va gasi fericirea

  • Pagina 114-despre metamorfozarea basmelor

  • Pagina 117-V.Propp goes as far as to claim the morphological base of the fairytale represents the mith

  • Pagina 101-Trebling=become or grow 3 times as large as before

  • Imparatul care cu un ochi plange, cu un ochi rade

  • Furatul astrelor de pe cer

Analysis of other games based on fairytales

  • World of the Witcher-Geography, History, Culture

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Ld74DDgNA&ab_channel=CivilizationEx

  • Tabletops based on Folklore:

  • https://screenrant.com/best-folklore-tabletop-rpgs/

  • Storrytelling in the hobbit:

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzvQ3i5BS_Q&ab_channel=ExtraCredits

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  • Games that are already based on fairytales and mythology:

  • https://screenrant.com/best-video-games-inspired-by-mythology-legends/

  •  

  • Witcher

  • Where is The Witcher inspired from?

  • Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski first started writing stories about Geralt of Rivia, the eponymous Witcher, in the mid-1980s. And though the story takes place in a fantasy world, Sapkowksi tied it implicitly to human culture by drawing inspiration from European mythology for the monsters Geralt faces

  •  

  • https://time.com/5753369/the-witcher-history-folklore/

  •  

  • God of War

  • The God of War series is a series of video games centered around Greek mythology and, following the conclusion of God of War III, Norse mythology as well. The series follows the Spartan warrior, Kratos who battles against men, monsters, and even gods alike in his quest for vengeance and retribution.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adbsBiWKsFI&ab_channel=TheLeaderboard

  • God of Norse Mithology and Lore explained

  •  

  • Ori and the Blind Forest

  • Legend Of Zelda-Breath of The Wild

  •  

  • Okami

  • The game is set in Nippon (Japan) and it is based on Japanese folklore, beginning one hundred years in the past. A narrator describes how the white wolf Shiranui and swordsman Nagi fought and sealed the eight-headed demon Orochi at the cave, to save Kamiki Village and Nagi's beloved maiden Nami.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML_dfWGYWmY&ab_channel=8-bitMusicTheory

  • I love how the music and art style are based on Japanese traditional art and culture. The art is inspired by traditional ukiyo-e paintings (“pictures of the floating world” during Edo period), translated for the digital game in a beautiful way. This artstyle is both cartoony and aesthetic. Music also references back to traditional songs and draws you into the mystical world of the game.

  • The game is set into ancient mythological Japan and is full of creatures and Shinto gods.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSQEAzxfMwU&ab_channel=TheCompletionist

  • An interesting and clever mechanic in Okami is the use of the celestial brushstrokes to alter the world around you. This takes me to the idea of using traditional embroidery or pot painting for my game, as a way of storytelling or changing the narrative. +using maramures gate decorations or bread decorations. Easter egg painting??

  • Plus collection mechanic?-gathering collectibles

Resources

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  • Morfologia Basmului, de V.I.Propp   (Chapter II. The Method and Material-page 21)

  • Sith Thompson, The Folktale2 , 1951

  • The Study of Romanian Folklore

  • Jan H. Brunvand

  • Journal of the Folklore Institute

  • Estetica Basmleor de G. Calinescu

  • The being of evil in the classic Romanian fairytale - expression of the Shadow Carmen Popescu, Alina Maria AndrieÈ™ (Spiru Haret University)

  • Pre-Christian Motifs in Romanian Fairy Tales by Sorin Ovidiu Baran

  • The Journey of Initiation in Romanian Fairytale by Patricia Furstenberg (Article)

  • Romanian Monsters of Mith and Folklore by Patricia Furstenberg (Article)

  • Plus many other

  • Folklore of Romania (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folklore_of_Romania#Origin_of_God)

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  • GENDER STEREOTYPES IN FAIRY TALES by Aura Molyviati

  • To find:

  • HAASE, D., Fairy tales and feminism: New approaches, Detroit, Wayne State University Press, 2004

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